Anda
The Anda were a bloodline of the Gangrel who existed among the Mongols during the Dark Ages. The bloodline's progenitor was Dobrul the Brave. History The Anda themselves believed they were scions of , the earth goddess of Mongolian religion. When the divine family was attacked by bandit Wan Kuei from the , who desired Itügen, her favored son Dobrul stood firm while all others, including her husband, the sky god Tengri, fled in fear for their lives. Dobrul fought bravely, but the insidious demons called down black magic and hurled a stone of fire from the sky to smite Dobrul. Convinced of her son's death, Itügen fled westwards, harassed by the jeering Wan Kuei. Dobrul, however, survived, but the curse of the Wan Kuei had changed him. He desired mortal blood instead of food and detected that his blood wielded the power to create others like him. His newly founded brood received stern warnings against the treachery of the Wan Kuei. Dark Ages ]] The Anda lived openly among their extended families (the yasun) who often acted as their herd. In return for their blood and protection during the day, the Anda would protect the family from harm and use his supernatural powers to the welfare of the family. Most Anda were locked in conflict with both the Wan Kuei and the Xiong Ren native to Mongolia. This, however, changed when Genghis Khan rose to power. As the Mongol tribes were united, the Anda followed them like a storm, crippling Wan Kuei holdings like the Black Tortoise Court and harassing Cainites in the West, diablerizing many Princes in Eastern Europe. Many Anda recounted that the blood was offered to the Khan, but that he declined the offer. Anda supremacy over the East continued up to the end of Kublai Khan's rule, after which their influence declined until the Yuan Dynasty was shattered and the Ming Dynasty (with vengeful Wan Kuei in its ranks) sacked Karakorum in 1360s. After that, the Wan Kuei began a pogrom against the bloodline, and by 1388, no traces could be found. It has been rumored, however, that Elder members of the bloodline had merged with the steppes and will emerge during the dawning of the Sixth Age. As the Final Nights see the rise of Dobrul the Brave, many Wan Kuei know that the turning of the Wheel has finally begun. Organization On the night of the new moon, all Anda within a given radius met to discuss the movements of their yasun and what kinds of threats might require their collective attention. The eldest Anda in such a gathering was called the khan, and all others were expected to submit to his authority. Other than that, the bloodline was too splintered to have a unified organization. The truly monstrous or depraved among them did not protect a tribe, but led a solitary unlife, feeding as opportunity permitted. These poor souls typically fell to torpor from hunger, and if any Anda still exist, it is likely one of these horrors, sleeping buried somewhere in China. Culture The Anda saw themselves as spirit warriors, free from mortal boundaries and concerns like food or rest. Relationships between the Anda relied heavily on nöker (meaning pledges of loyalty to a vampire the Anda considered superior to himself), with those Anda that had high standing in the Horde having the most influence due to complex nöker relationships all over the bloodline. Many elder Anda did not follow Humanity, instead adopting the Road of the Yasa or the Road of the Beast. Embraces Embraces within the bloodline were done after great Councils of all Anda near the prospective candidate. After the Embrace, the new Anda had to face a series of rigorous tests to hone his survival skills, including mastery over Protean in order to meld with the earth. Those who passed the test were regarded as blood brothers of the line and were free to do their own meddling. Many Anda, however, remained in contact with the Council that first commissioned their Embrace. Version Differences The most notable difference in the Anda across versions is their weakness. In Wind From the East, they have the compulsion to never rest for a long period of time in a place. Additionally, after 10 Frenzies, they gain a permanent Beast Mark. In Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, the weakness is tweaked; they retain the compulsion to never rest, but gain a temporary Beast Mark every other Frenzy. In their writeup in Vampire Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages, their weakness is instead that their Road rating is limited for the hour after sunset and the hour before sunrise as if they were acting during the day. Who the Anda Embrace also differs. In Wind From the East, they Embrace Mongols, and eventually other tribes they respect such as the Qipchaqs or Tanghuts. In V20 they Embrace exclusively from the Mongol tribes, and V20 Dark Ages notes the diversity of tribes and cultures within the Mongol Empire available to the Anda, and has them also Embrace the worthy from the various civilizations the Mongols have conquered or adopted into their armies. Gallery Anda v20, p. 416.jpg|From V20. Art by Leif Jones Anda.jpg|Art by Aaron Riley Anda.png|From Wind From the East References * * * * Category:Gangrel (VTM) Category:Bloodlines (VTM)